Let Us Put Our Prayer Into Practice: A Letter and Video Message from Bishop Lee

Let Us Put Our Prayer Into Practice: A Letter and Video Message from Bishop Lee

June 13, 2016

From the Bishop of ChicagoTo Members and Friends of the Diocese of Chicago

Dear Friends,

The unspeakable violence in Orlando reminds us of the dangerous society we live in. It reminds us in particular that the experience and awareness of such danger is experienced by some groups of people more than others. The threat of hate-fueled violence, even murderous rage is a daily reality for too many people.

This was an attack on the LGBTI community. It has been said by some to be an attack on our common humanity. From the perspective of my own Christian faith, I want to suggest that it was an attack on Christ himself. Every act of violent hatred is an assault on Jesus Christ who is present in every victim. I do not know how else to understand the mystery of the cross. Murder is simply blasphemy, an attempt to obliterate the image of God in which we are all made.

I ask you to continue to pray for all who died in the nightclub in Orlando. Please pray for their families and friends who mourn. Pray that outrage and grief will not be turned toward hatred of anyone else. And let us put our prayer into practice. Let us continue to work for sensible regulation of the sale of automatic weapons. Let us work for the dignity of all God’s children, gay, straight, bisexual and transgender. Let us put our trust in the cross of Christ - death is not the final word.